Post by cami713 on May 1, 2006 12:54:05 GMT -5

*This outfit was worn by Felicity in the book Felicity's Surprise and in the DVD Felicity: An American Girl Adventure*

Mattel, 2004The Good: Lots of nice little pieces for the price. Pretty detailing, love that there's 2 stomachers. And I LOVE how it has a huge story. Also like that the shoes in her S&S set match these (with the little blue flowers).

The Bad: Color clashes horribly on M Lissie. Her eyes are such a neon green, and the dress is so blue, they really don't go together well, imo.

Post by QNPoohBear on May 7, 2006 20:12:05 GMT -5

I like the look of this dress and the significance of the story. I have a 1991 version of this dress. It came a skirt, an over dress, two stomachers, a necklace and a pinner cap with bobbi pins to pin the cap to Felicity's hair. The sleeves are very tight and the dress is difficult to put on. The skirt doesn't fit with the pocket hoops on either. Regardless of the few problems, I this this is one of the most beautiful gowns Felicity owns and I especially love how it matches her doll.

Post by megadeth on May 9, 2006 17:41:26 GMT -5

I have noticed too that the skirts don't fit well with the pocket hoops. with Felicity's PM skirts. (I don't know about the newer ones) The Christmas, red school skirt, and her riding habbit are a tight fit. Once on it is very pretty though.

Post by scandia on Jun 10, 2007 9:57:39 GMT -5

Beautiful gown. Everything works well together. I have not used the second stomacher at all-IMHO it clashes with Felicity's complexion. However, the first one does not for some reason. Many pieces are hard to lose- but they all make the outfit look complete. A-

Post by QNPoohBear on Jan 20, 2008 14:29:10 GMT -5

The necklace is made from a 1/8" wide blue satin ribbon. It is 5" long without the screw clasp. There is a bow in the center which is 1" wide and a pearl drop hanging below the bow, which is 1/2" long.

Post by jennil on Aug 23, 2008 7:38:23 GMT -5

I own two versions of this gown, the first from the year it came out, and one was a more recent purchase (because I'd lost the petticoat from my original - which since turned up - yay that!) and so I've had an opportunity to compare the two. The biggest change I found was in the ribbon stomacher. It changed size, and the ribbon also changed color, from a bright pink, to a more sort of lavender-ish pink. I thought this was interesting.

Post by Ms. Notorious on Jun 4, 2009 18:55:40 GMT -5

I couldn't wait to get this dress for Lissie because it was always my favorite in the catalogs. So, I was disappointed at how off the color looks on her. Having said that, it's still a gorgeous dress in it's own right. I love being able to change the stomacher.

Post by LissieAB on Sept 29, 2009 15:17:07 GMT -5

This is an important dress because of the significance in her Christmas story, but, alas, it does not look very good on her at all. The bright blue looks off on her - it does her hair and eyes absolutely no justice. Maybe if the material wasn't so shiny and bright...

I like that the dress comes in three segments and has a change of stomacher - very authentic, but the second stomacher looks even worse on her. Also, the skirt fits my Lissie a little too loosely and the doll and dress are both from 2009.

So:Dress: BIn conclusion, it is an important dress in one of the books, comes in different pieces, but the color is too bright and shiny to look good on Felicity.

Post by rosieangel on Nov 27, 2009 22:37:59 GMT -5

Maybe this is because my Lissie is a PM, but I respectfully disagree with you all and think she looks just lovely in her Christmas Dress! The color really brings out the red of her hair, I think. I also love the little details on her stomachers, her pinner cap, and her pretty necklace. Switching out the stomachers adds to the overall play value of this gown... they're so much fun! Another detail I like that is sadly lacking in many of her newer dresses is the long length of the gown.

What I don't like are the ridiculously tight sleeves that require me to fiddle with her shift everytime I dress her in it, and the way the bobby pins on the cap continually snag Felicity's hair... Lately, I've taken to using the lace cap that comes with her summer dress instead of the pinner cap for the sake of preserving the quality of her hair.

Post by tkimt on Dec 19, 2009 22:33:05 GMT -5

I have two opinions on this outfit:

With the white-lace stomacher, this outfit is PERFECT. Everything coordinates perfectly - so precious! A+!

With the pink stomacher though - what were they thinking? The color blending of the pink looks TIE DIE (just like in Elizabeth's meet outfit). And the pink doesn't coordinate so great with the blue. B-/C+ for the outfit worn with the pink stomacher (D for the pink stomacher itself).

Raters are right in that this blue wouldn't go with Felicity. But I didn't get Felicity, so it works for me colorwise - I love true colors and jewel tones I had my Nellie wear this because she was my only doll at the time that didn't have a white body (yay for the white undershirt look :(). I know Nellie's hair isn't colonial, but she looked great in it, especially with Felicity's hoops added.

Oh, and I also don't think this cloak goes with her red gown, even though they were made for each other. I think Mattel was more on the spot with color in terms of Elizabeth's holiday gown and her quilted cloak.

Post by EofA on Jan 22, 2010 17:19:04 GMT -5

I think this is a striking dress and love the contrast with Felicity's coloring and the Cardinal Cape.

She looks breathtaking every year at the holidays when we put her into the gown. The bright taffeta has such a festive look about it and I think the pleating trim and lace set this apart as a very special dress.

It might not fit contemporary ideas of holiday festive, but it works for a special dress in which to dance at the Governor's Palace!

I prefer the white lace stomacher best for a classic look, plus it matches the dress as worn by Lissie's fashion doll.

However, I think the pink ribbon and pearl one is fine for an occasional change.

I think most of Lissie's dresses are tight over her shift sleeves, and this one is unfortunately no exception in that regard. My set came pin-less, apparently made after the switchover some years ago, but the pinner rests adequately on her head. I have not had any problems getting this dress over Lissie's panniers and as it's one of the few gowns that she would have worn them with, I like that it fits so well.

I love her mother's pearl on a ribbon necklace, just like in the stories. The shoe bows and hair ribbon in matching blue complete the look.

This outfit has gone up in price from $24 to $32 over the years, but even at the higher price it's a lot of value for the money. I consider this a must-have for a representative Felicity collection and rate it an A.

ETA that I just read through all the reviews here and on the AG site about this outfit, and I find it interesting that many of the more recent reviews on the AG site complain about the dress being too complicated to put on. My daughter got this outfit when she was 7 or 8 and didn't find it hard to figure out, so I'm puzzled about those comments. Perhaps it is a function of AG's target market skewing ever younger (despite the 8-12 age range it specifies, we all know that children much younger are buying the 18 inch dolls now) and thus not being likely to have the historical perspective of colonial fashions that one gains by reading and understanding the books. Perhaps it is a function of AG's ever-truncated advertising text, which no longer gives much historical perspective on the fashions. I think that's too bad.

There were also a fair number of comments about it running large on dolls. The outfit really is meant to go on over the now-retired colonial undergarments, and I suspect some of the sizing issues are due to the lack of foundation garments. AG gets an F from me for retiring those!

Post by adored on Jan 26, 2010 13:03:01 GMT -5

I bought my Christmas dress in 2006, it fits my chubby PM Felicity with just a slight bit of looseness. On my Mattel Felicity however, it is very loose and therefore hangs down long and to the ground. The ribbon and necklace match the dress exactly. I like this dress because of it's beautiful color, the material is like what umbrellas are made of only a tad thinner, but I do not like how it seems to be big and only my PM Felicity will really fit it properly.

Post by sussemaus on Jan 26, 2010 15:22:37 GMT -5

My Christmas dress is from October 2009.

Looks: I think Lissie looks very pretty in this dress. It works oddly well with her red hair and green eyes. I have never seen the movie nor read "Changes for Felicity" so i cannot compare how the doll dress looks with either of those, but it photographs very well with only a little shine when using the flash.

Here are a few examples:

I also think that it looks so wonderful with the cloak. I really think the pinkish/purple stomacher ties the red and blue together.

Now for a bit of nitty-gritty breakdown:

The outfit includes the skirt, the outer dress, two stomachers (white lace and pink ribbon), shoes with sewn on blue bows, a blue hair ribbon, a necklace and a white pinner cap.

First off let me say that this dress should most defiantly be worn with the white meet shift underneath. The underskirt will be much too big if it is not. I did do a comparison of a Mattel felicity and a PM molly and really feel that the size of the skirt/dress was never adjusted to the slimmer mattels, but it really is not that big of a difference:

As you can see the skirt simply comes down a little further on the Mattel dolls hips. The skirt has two small Velcro pieces on each side to fasten it around the doll.

The outer dress is similar to a jacket. One side of the stomacher has to be undone to slide it on and off. The stomacher has three snaps that attach it to the outer dress.

I find the dress very easy to get on the doll. i do worry that the snaps will come loose with wear and tear, but i think i wold worry about that with snaps on anything The outer dress does need to pulled down in the back (on my doll at least) to keep the shift underneath from showing.

close up of the detail on the dress and on the lace stomacher. this is where the dress and stomacher snap together. rather seamless in my opinion.

close up of the pink stomacher. you can see how the snaps are sewn on. they are also hidden on the dress.

The shoes are as cute as can be. they cannot really be seen under the dress, but still very cute and fit my Mattel Lissie very well. They also fit my PM molly perfectly.

The hair ribbon matches the dress perfectly and looks wonderful in Lissies hair.

The necklace is nicely detailed and matches the dress and ribbon. This would be the only real point where i have complaint. The necklace is too long. it does not fit snuggly around lissie's neck and the clasp is horrible. the way it should be clasped is impossible for it to stay on. I have clasped it in the other hole and found it will hold for a bit longer. The length is really the problem here, the necklace is 6 and 1/2 inches / 17 centimeters clasp to clasp

The pinner cap is very cute. it matches the rest of the dress nicely. Mine came with out pins, but i just use regular bobby pins to hold it on. I really do not understand how to put it on so it looks nice and hides the pins, but i am sure you just have to mess with for a bit and figure it out.

Also included is an inset about the stomacher with illustrations and a set info trading cards.

Overall i think this dress is very nice and for the price comes with a lot of pieces. I hate the necklace and think it could be done better, but the outfit loses nothing if you leave off the necklace.

Post by tkimt on Mar 2, 2010 1:14:12 GMT -5

Hm, I didn't have a problem with necklace length with my later-years Nellie.

The dress did seem kind of big for my Nellie when I was putting it on, but I figured it was a PM v. Mattel thing. It still looked beautiful on her though. I always rearrange the way Felicity's dresses hang on Nellie's torso and from her hips to get it to look the way I want despite the PM/Mattel difference. I also added Felicity's undergarments; I forgot what they're called, but they're the ones that fill up the area of the hips. They made this dress look great, and definitely more Christmas ball-like!

Post by clementinefox on Jun 10, 2010 15:36:49 GMT -5

I just purchased this gown (June 2010), though I know it will grow on me, I was disappointed in a few things. One: the stomacher attaches with velcro rather than snaps. It's secure but seems to sit rather low on her chest. Two: the necklace is too large. Three: the smell of the fabric is horribly strong. I really hope that does not last or rub off onto any other clothes.

Post by Jacsan on Sept 4, 2010 20:47:38 GMT -5

I got mine some months ago and it has velcro, also, the stomachers were a little "big" so the dress fit quite losely, so I had to make a gather type of stiches along the velcros to make the stomachers a little narrower so the dress would fit better.

Post by Buckingham Alice on Dec 18, 2010 7:41:29 GMT -5

I really hate to say this, but I'm rather disappointed with this dress.

I love the look of it... it's beautiful, to be sure! I love that it comes with so many pieces. I love the significance in the story. I love the accuracy and attention to detail. I wanted it for all of these reasons, and because I like all my dolls to have holiday wear.

But I'm not crazy about the color on Felicity... I wouldn't say it clashes, per se, but I like her better in other color combos. And I worry that the velcro on the stomachers are going to snag the lace, so I'll have to be extra careful. But more than anything... I don't just dislike the material... I HATE it. It feels ridiculously cheap. I don't know what it is exactly, but it feels very synthetic. I can't imagine a bolt of this crap sitting in Mr. Merriman's store. I don't know if the PC version of this dress is made of a nicer material since I've never felt it or seen it in person, but I'm not happy with this material.

I considered sending this outfit back (would have been my first ever return to AG) but I couldn't let Lissie go to the ball in everyday clothes.

Post by skukla on Dec 18, 2010 12:10:09 GMT -5

Post by on Dec 18, 2010 13:04:51 GMT -5

The PC version is surprisingly made out of the same material I think. However I also think the lace and quality is better on the PC one. It looks like they spent less time sewing the newer version. I recommend getting the PC version if you can.

Post by on Dec 30, 2010 13:20:36 GMT -5

I have purchased this dress for two of my granddaughters (one in 2009, and one this fall) and I ordered it for my Felicity on Dec. 26th. The newest dress is horrible! They changed the fabric--it's now a stiff material you might see used to make a tent, it's not the pretty taffeta they used formerly. I have complained to AG about it and am sending it back. I'll use the pattern from this site to make a holiday dress.

Post by artz_annie on Jan 9, 2011 18:30:09 GMT -5

I ordered Felicity's christmas dress December 27th. A day or so before it sold out. I was very disapointed to see velcro on the stomacher. My mother had made Felicity's christmas dress for me as a child. I had to finish it after she died (making the stomacher from the pattern) I was hoping that it would come with the snaps like the pattern used. So, that I could interchange pieces as needed. Boy am I disapointed. I haven't even wanted to try it on any of my girls.

Post by starwenn on Mar 16, 2011 15:49:45 GMT -5

I just got the dress and regular lace stomacher on eBay, no extras. First of all, I'm disappointed that they used velcro for the last of these dresses instead of more sensible snaps. I also agree that the fabric is awful. It feels more like a bright blue parachute than a ball gown!

On the other hand, the color looks gorgeous on my PM/transitional Felicity, and it's still such a pretty dress, it was worth getting. (Especially since I doubt I could learn to sew well enough to make this pattern anytime soon!) I could probably figure out how to make her a lace cap, and if her mother can improvise a necklace in the book...well, so can I.

Post by americangirlshope on Jun 17, 2012 16:40:41 GMT -5

A+

This is my favorite outfit for Felicity, and it's definitely her most beautiful gown. Mine was purchased second hand on eBay in new condition, and I paid about forty dollars for it. It's worth every penny, in my opinion. The gown is from 2010 and has everything included, including shoes. The stomachers close with Velcro, however, I do not find it to be prone to snagging at all, actually. Despite that, I would have preferred the snap closure.

The necklace is lovely and dainty, however, it is also rather large around her neck. The shoes are precious! They're white plastic leather feeling material with a slight heel and blue bows on the toes. They match the gown perfectly, and as a bonus, also look lovely paired with the summer gown! The pinner cap is elegant, and gives the outfit a very nice finishing touch. I'm very impressed with the pleats on the gown, as well as the overall construction. I also found that in my opinion , the fabric feels expensive. It is an artificial taffeta, and while it feels like a 'parachute', it's supposed to. Taffeta is supposed to be a stiff, crinkly fabric, and I have found that it helps the gown to stand out fuller and give it a lustrous shine.

Overall, I have no reasonable complaints about this piece. It is a beautiful, historically accurate, and painstakingly detailed ballgown that is a focal point of Felicity's collection.

Post by CleverLC on Dec 11, 2012 21:04:51 GMT -5

No pictures, but I got this dress in 1993 or thereabouts. It came with the overdress, skirt, 2 stomachers, pinner cap, bobby pins, hair ribbon, and necklace. It did not come with the shoes--those were offered later.

This is the first AG outfit I ever got (other than meets), and the only one that my mother ever bought for me when I was a kid (unless you somehow count the Cardinal Cloak as a full outfit). Over the years, I lost the little fiddly bits. (The hair ribbon probably lasted a week, tops. I never really had a good place to keep hair ribbons or Barbie shoes, and they always got lost almost immediately.) Later on, one of the snaps came off the alternate stomacher (fortunately, it was a center snap, so it wasn't noticeable), so my mother made me get rid of it. The lovely blue ribbon trim has faded to purple. It is not as shiny and new as the pictures everyone else has.

But you know what? I wouldn't get rid of this dress for the world. It's beautiful on Felicity and matches the book illustrations perfectly (except for the faded ribbon). The dress itself has held up wonderfully well, and the main stomacher still has all 6 of its tiny snaps. And now that I'm an adult and can darn well MAKE places to store all those Fiddly Little Doll Pieces, I'm going to make all of the pieces I lost, and even suffer through putting a new ribbon on the dress, just so my children can have the joy of Felicity's Christmas Dress too.

I would not recommend displaying her in this dress, though, unless you're very careful about such things. I'm pretty sure exposure to sunlight is what ruined that trim!

For those who are complaining about the quality of the LACE and RIBBONS: That has definitely changed over the years. My lace doesn't look like the lace on the newer dresses at all. The ribbons on my alternate stomacher were clearly dark on one side of the ribbon and light on the other, and twisted so that both sides of the ribbon showed, not gradient-dyed like that. For those who are complaining about the quality of the BLUE FABRIC: Sorry folks, but that's just how taffeta is. I've owned taffeta dresses (that certainly weren't cheap, by any definition) and that is how the fabric feels and drapes. Taffeta is a sturdy, economical silk substitute that lasts a long time. It doesn't feel like silk, but for something that looks this nice, that's a sacrifice I'm more than willing to make.